British man convicted for posing as woman to trick men into sex

Oct. 7 (UPI) — A British man was convicted of manipulating other men into having sex with him by posing as a woman, London police said.

Duarte Xavier, 33, contacted straight men through a dating app and sent the photos of “Ana,” a woman he claimed to be. When the men arrived to his home to have sex with Ana, Xavier had them wear a blindfold as he spoke in the accent of a foreign woman. He also told the men they weren’t allowed to touch him during the sexual activity.

At least four of those men figured out something was amiss and alerted police. Xavier was arrested and found guilty of six counts of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent.

During court, Xavier was described as a liar and fantasist whose “Ana” scheme spanned several years. Prosecutors added that there could be many more victims who were too ashamed to speak to police.

Prosecutor Kunal Davé said none of the victims consented to have sex with Xavier.

“I hope today’s conviction not only makes clear just how important consent is, but also gives these victims some measure of comfort, and sends a message to other victims that they are not alone,” Davé said.

“Xavier has demonstrated extreme manipulation and cunning to satisfy his own sexual gratification, setting bizarre conditions that the victims adhered to in the belief that they were part of the experience,” said Lucy Marsh of the Metropolitan police.